Is originality is simply plagiarism gone undetected? The artist Maurizio Cattelan has long embraced the idea that there’s nothing new anymore under the sun. To him, what is actually original is how one re-uses and re-envisions what’s come before. And he’s found a like-minded conspirator in Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele, who has an equal sense of humor about and creative relationship with the idea of copycatting.
Together, the two Italian provocateurs dreamed up “The Artist Is Present,” a group exhibition at the Yuz Museum in Shanghai curated by Cattelan.
Celebrating Gucci top handle bags
Abramović is not involved in the new exhibition, although her work has inspired Cattelan. By using the same title and a similar image in a new context, Cattelan hopes to begin a conversation about originality and copying.
One more reason to visit Shanghai this year!
Catellan’s interview by Fan Zhong for W magazine
By the way, I love the W’s November 2009 editorial ‘Art Issue’, curated by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan with Canadian Supermodel Linda Evangelista. photographed by Pierpaolo Ferrari and styled by Camilla Nickerson. Evangelista is both subversive and salacious while posing in garments from Rena Lange, Marc Jacobs, Versace, Valentino Haute Couture and Chanel.
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